Most people know that slavery existed in the colonies even before the United States became a country, but not everyone understands how many European people came to the colonies as indentured servants. Indentured servants are not slaves. They are people who traded their freedom and promised to act as servants in order to be able to come to the colonies. Many people who could not afford to pay their way to the new world gave up their freedom for many years so that they could have a chance at a better life. For the wealthier colonists, indentured servants were a cheap work force to harvest tobacco and other crops or just to do daily work. More than half of all the immigrants to the colonies were indentured servants.
At that time, it was an accepted idea that a person who was considered wealthy or important did not need to work themselves and should earn their living by using the work of servants and slaves. At first, the new colonists tried to use Native Americans as slaves. This didn’t work well because the Native Americans had help to escape and knew their own land well enough to be able to run away. Indentured servants often chose to become servants even though they might be treated cruelly. However, not all indentured servants came to the colonies willingly. Some were forced to come because they owed debts and coming to the colonies was the only way to pay them back. A lot of indentured servants came to America from farms in England and Ireland. There were also many people who lived in cities but could not find work to make a living. Sometimes, the indentured servants were criminals who had been kicked out.
Sometimes indentured servants were treated as badly as slaves and they were considered the property of their owners for as long as their service lasted. In newspapers from the colonies there were notices that an indentured person had run away. Sometimes there were notices that someone wanted to hire an indentured servant to work for them. If the owner of an indenture wanted to, they could rent out their servant and keep the money that the servant earned. If the servant ran away, they could go to jail or be beaten. A common way for an indentured servant to be punished was for their serving time to be lengthened. They were sometimes punished for talking to other servants and even for getting pregnant. They were not allowed to get married Sometimes they did not have clothes or enough food to eat.
When the servants came from the same place as their owners, it was easier for them to run away and blend in with the other people. African slaves were easier for the owners to recognize. This was one of the reasons that slaves were better for their wealthy owners than indentured servants. The first African slaves were treated like indentured servants, but soon slavery lasted for the slave’s whole life and the owners owned the slaves children too. After a while, African slaves became more common than indentured servants because it was easier to keep them in control because they looked different than the colonists and because if you owned someone for life, you never had to find a new servant.
Indentured servants did not have an easy life, but at least they could be free in time. Some ran away and did not get caught or were free after their time was up. Being an indentured servant was a way for some poor people to leave England and have a better chance for success. Many of the colonists who fought in the revolution might have come from indentured servants. Being free from England might have been an idea that came from Indentured servants who wanted to be free in a new land. If I was so poor that I couldn’t eat, I might become an indentured servant too. It might have been the only way.
2/9/10
Indentured servants in Colonial America
Most people know that slavery existed in the colonies even before the United States became a country, but not everyone understands how many European people came to the colonies as indentured servants. Indentured servants are not slaves. They are people who traded their freedom and promised to act as servants in order to be able to come to the colonies. Many people who could not afford to pay their way to the new world gave up their freedom for many years so that they could have a chance at a better life. For the wealthier colonists, indentured servants were a cheap work force to harvest tobacco and other crops or just to do daily work. More than half of all the immigrants to the colonies were indentured servants.
At that time, it was an accepted idea that a person who was considered wealthy or important did not need to work themselves and should earn their living by using the work of servants and slaves. At first, the new colonists tried to use Native Americans as slaves. This didn’t work well because the Native Americans had help to escape and knew their own land well enough to be able to run away. Indentured servants often chose to become servants even though they might be treated cruelly. However, not all indentured servants came to the colonies willingly. Some were forced to come because they owed debts and coming to the colonies was the only way to pay them back. A lot of indentured servants came to America from farms in England and Ireland. There were also many people who lived in cities but could not find work to make a living. Sometimes, the indentured servants were criminals who had been kicked out.
Sometimes indentured servants were treated as badly as slaves and they were considered the property of their owners for as long as their service lasted. In newspapers from the colonies there were notices that an indentured person had run away. Sometimes there were notices that someone wanted to hire an indentured servant to work for them. If the owner of an indenture wanted to, they could rent out their servant and keep the money that the servant earned. If the servant ran away, they could go to jail or be beaten. A common way for an indentured servant to be punished was for their serving time to be lengthened. They were sometimes punished for talking to other servants and even for getting pregnant. They were not allowed to get married Sometimes they did not have clothes or enough food to eat.
When the servants came from the same place as their owners, it was easier for them to run away and blend in with the other people. African slaves were easier for the owners to recognize. This was one of the reasons that slaves were better for their wealthy owners than indentured servants. The first African slaves were treated like indentured servants, but soon slavery lasted for the slave’s whole life and the owners owned the slaves children too. After a while, African slaves became more common than indentured servants because it was easier to keep them in control because they looked different than the colonists and because if you owned someone for life, you never had to find a new servant.
Indentured servants did not have an easy life, but at least they could be free in time. Some ran away and did not get caught or were free after their time was up. Being an indentured servant was a way for some poor people to leave England and have a better chance for success. Many of the colonists who fought in the revolution might have come from indentured servants. Being free from England might have been an idea that came from Indentured servants who wanted to be free in a new land. If I was so poor that I couldn’t eat, I might become an indentured servant too. It might have been the only way.